Automatic Mobile Platforms

摘要

Polar orbit NOAA meteorological satellites equipped with ARGOS instrumentation were used during the FGGE for the implementation of the Tropical Constant Level Balloon and Drifting Buoy Programs. Although the balloon program supplied excellent upper wind measurements, practical difficulties prevent the balloons from being used as an operational system in the World Weather Watch. Drifting buoys, however seem to have good potential as an operational system. It should be possible to constitute a system at reasonable operational cost, providing good quality data from which surface pressure analyses and reference measurements of ocean surface temperature could be obtained. A global network could be established on a progressive basis, starting with the implementation of regional networks.